[Anglican Alliance] Bishop Humphrey Peters appealed for the support for people who were injured or lost relatives when two suicide bombs killed and maimed congregation members as they left All Saints Church, Peshawar, last month.

You can access the appeal online here, and in the drop down menu choose the Rapid Response Fund Pakistan to make a donation direct. Or you can send a cheque to Us at the address below. The funds will be used to help people injured in the blasts, and families who lost their breadwinners. Details of the funding proposals will be provided soon.

The Diocese of Peshawar newsletter reports that Christians and their Muslim neighbours worked together to get the injured to hospital. But the hospital struggled to cope with the scale of the incident and more lives were lost as doctors tried to treat so many injured needing ball bearings and bomb pellets removed.

The attacks were condemned throughout Pakistan, by people of all religions or creeds, as well as leaders overseas. Over 5,000 people attended a memorial service at St John’s Cathedral, Peshawar, and local Muslim traders provided food for those attending.

The incident is the latest in a series of attacks on Pakistani Christians, who represent just 1.6% of Pakistan’s 180 million population. The Jundullah arm of the Taliban has claimed responsibility for the attack, though the Pakistani Taliban condemned the attack. The Pakistani government is currently pursuing a strategy of seeking peace with the Taliban.     

The Anglican agency Us, formerly USPG, is hosting the appeal and the Anglican Alliance is coordinating the response to support the Peshawar Diocese as its community rebuilds after the atrocity.  

The Peshawar Diocese is planning to use the resources to rehabilitate the injured and help families who have lost their breadwinners and suffered financially. More detailed information will be available later.

The Anglican agency “Episcopal Relief and Development” have sent funds for funeral expenses and support for families of victims.

If you would like to contribute to this appeal for Peshawar, donation can be made:

• Through the Us website, click here and in the drop down menu choose the Rapid Response Fund Pakistan.
• By cheque made payable to United Society and sent to Us.,  Harling House,  47-51 Great Suffolk Street,  London  SE1 0BS, with an accompanying note to indicate that it is for the Pakistan Appeal
• By calling Us. on+ 44 (0) 20 7921 2200 to donate by card.